bounties toward 〈◊〉 may be quit With loue and seruice I haue some such coyne Impresse thus with you names make vse of it It doth the soules of Saints together ioyne And Syons preseruation doth expresse And treats of nought but blisse and happinesse Prophane adulterous plots I do detest I ayme to please the soule and not the soyle To call and summon euery Holy ghest To the Lambs nuptialls is my pleasant toyle My Patrons glory my pen onely seekes And moues no blushes in most modest cheekes Right noble Henry I do know your brest Containes a spirit that is not cantain'd In ordinary limits Honor's best Approu'd and honor'd and her worth explain'd Being cloth'd with robes of purity most fit Lined with mercy valour grace and wit Y' are Lord of these I flatter not I know you And your good parts I honor and admire For all your loue and fauours more I owe you And what I do not do I do desire I could do for your good But I note still Imperfect acts may rise from perfect will And best deseruing Lady you haue beene The Patronesse of my yet infant pen If these more mature workes you do esteeme And countenance I 'le vrge both times and men To keepe your name aliue free from the dead So long as English shall be spoke or read My pen my sacred muse and sweetest breath Shall honor Henry and Elizabeth God guide protect direct and loue you still And send you good vntill I wish you ill Your Honors in all holy duty and Humaine loue Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT Thelpe Isr'els faults some good men striues But cannot make amends Iustice and truth her fall contriues Then mercy makes them friends HEare more my choice and thou shal more conceiue Go not for her I loue I would not leaue Why should we part no no it must not be And if we euer do it's long of thee No fault of mine thou ought'st to vnderstand I mildly do intreate that may command But rigour fits not Princes hatefull thing Base cruelty did ne're become a King Milde patience potency hath euer lou'd The Monarch would not Momus will be mou'd Meeke clemency with Princes euer rides Dauid's at Musicke diuellish Doeg chides So some may do and may vndoe and doth Some things at once are done and vndone both Compassion should in greatnesse beare great sway Mercy in Kings shines like the Sunne in day My mercy thou hast found It hath found thee And brought more blessings then dim eyes can see Or hearts of men conceiue not thy creation Choosing collection troublesome vocation Was all the charges I for thee disburst Thy limmes were soundest but thou trauel'd worst And left my wayes to wander in thy owne Thy heathen neighbours that haue scarcely knowne Thy beauties by report much wonder still To see so faire a creature do so ill When I saw thus thou had thy selfe forgot And other nations that I loued not Reioyce in th'disgrace I knew some paine Must be perform'd to wash thee white againe So foule was thy complection some did see That the whole peece of blacke impurity Was all Imploy'd to make thy coast sad Iob Desires to wash thy spotted sinnefull rob In his snow-water and he brings it in But 't was not that could send away thy sin So Iob mistaken his indeauours rest He 's worthy thankes good man he did his best But could not make thee better Aaron then The first and chiefe of earthly holy men Puts on his rich attire and meanes to bring A sacrifice vnto his Lord and King Prouides his alter and with reuerent feare Calues goates and pigeons he doth offer there And to make an attonement for thy good My priest and alter were both di'd in blood Actions that in some measure did perswade But there was other off'rings to be made Of better value and of greater price Good Dauid friendly brought his sacrifice And that was Isop water and with that His meaning was to wash away thy spot He did his best but 's best did not remooue Yuy sinne but onely manifest his loue Aaron and Iob and Dauid lou'd thee well Yet notwithstanding they did partly dwell At the vaine-labour their workes went to wracke They washt the Moore and he was still more blacke Angels descend and moues Bethesdas lake And yet the long-sicke man no shift could make To make his sorrowes cease these are but toyes Or rather types of price of better ioyes A faire oblation must amend these foule A spotlesse blood must make a spotlesse soule No other offering can disolue offence But luke warme-warme-blood of harmeles Innocence When man had sinn'd and sinne had wrought the fall Of Adam Heuah and their seede and all Borne betweene the worlds birth and funerall God granted a Commission to these two Iustice and Truth and these should say and do And in the high Court on this high Commission These two were set and making inquisition How man that was so good became so ill And finding that he fell by his owne will Affirm'd no punishment could be too much For 's voluntary trespasse and begins To whip man willingly for willing sinnes And by decree in that high Court consents That wilfull faults with wofull punishments Shall be rewarded Is the law so sore For tasting but one apple mongst such store The smallest faults done willingly are great Sinnes done at vnawares shall pardon get Sinnes worthy pardon mournes and knowes no mirth And but begins conception after birth Sinnes worthy death are those that mourning scorne Those that are first conceiu'd and after borne When Truth and Iustice doom'd thy death for sinne Mercy came sorrowfull and sadly in Her body trembl'd and her head hung downe Vpon her backe she wore a long white gowne Her hands were lifted vp her eyes were weeping Her woes were waking and her ioyes were sleeping Her knees were bended begging thy offence They would iudge hers and with such reuerence She spoke in thy behalfe with such respect That as I liue a Tyrant would haue wept She had a palme but bore it very low And carelesly because she did not know How she should speede and humbly thus preferres Her plaint before the high Commissioners The iust Commissioners something mou'd to see So faire a Princesse beg so earnestly Another pardon sadly answer'd thus That one must die it is decreed by vs If thou canst make amends for Adams fall His faults we 'll bury at thy funerall And yet we cannot thus the man forgiue For if thou should die he cannot liue But this we 'll tollerate if thou can get A Prince to loose his life for subiects det Our God is pleas'd to Eden he shall come And thus the lost sonne may be welcome home Thinke with thy selfe speake with thy Prince and try Thy Prince must fall or man and men must dye Mercy being answer'd sate her downe and wept And being full of sorrow would haue kept Her selfe vnseene I see her stept in And
iorney with great paine But with farre greater Honor came againe My Prince I know thy day disolu'd my night Thy heauy burthen made my burthen light Thy purple robe di'd red with my offence Bought me a coate as white as innocence Thy thorne's my crowne thy reeds my scepter and Thy death 's my life my faith doth vnderstand Thy blood 's the fountaine wash'd my soule from sin Thy wounds the gates to let me enter in And that wound in thy side doth this impart That thou intends to lodge me in thy heart And made thy passage ready the vailes rent Makes me despise th' earth for I 'm consident Thy cities gates wide open I behold And who'ill be pleas'd with leade that may haue gold My Lord I will not heauen is my home And I 'll not let thee goe before I come To share part of thy glory I am thine And my faith tels me that thy kingdome 's mine I know and do beleeue this and I trust My seat's made in the mansion of the iust And for that place I 'm bound in the meane time That I in all my actions may shew thine I 'm furnishing my selfe and I will ayme To weare my robes for th' honor of thy name I 'll first put on obedience and applie My selfe t' attend vpon thy Maiestie With dilligence and with religious feare Thy law I 'll study and thy world I 'll heare Stife-neck'd rebellion I will neuer know My power shall be bestow'd for to bestow Loues legacies on thee at thy command My inward heart and my externall hand Shall purpose and dispose and to thy throne I 'll offer both my owners and my owne Thy messengers and ministers I 'll giue Their honor and respect and striue to liue So carefully and free from all offence As one that ne're knew disobedience Although whilst my poore soule is lapt in flesh It 's cloth'd with sorrow and with sinfulnesse Yet with such holy feare I 'll spend my time Thou 'll please to say my sinnes are none of mine They shall be done s'vnwillingly my flesh I know well is betroth'd to guiltinesse But not by my consent I doe much ill And Lord thou knowest I do 't against my will Sinne dwelleth in me and muah'ill contriues T' effect much mischiefe and vnkindly striues To burthen me Lord how shall I 't preuent Since I am both guilty and innocent The flesh being mine the sinnes say so are they Yet since my will ne'er will'd to disobey Thy ordinances do thou plead my cause And if I perish vnder Moses lawes Let me appeale to my Messias grace And there find comfort I will seeke thy face But not presumptuously as Mary came Poore woman burthen'd both with sinne and shame Into the house where once thou sate to eate And well considering that her sinnes were greate Presum'd not to behold thy face but kept Behind thy backe and there kneel'd downe and wept And for a sinners sacrifice most meete Dropt pearle-like teares vpon thy pretious feete And gladly washt them and with her heads-haire Carefully wipes them dry to leaue them faire And with th' imbraces that best fits a friend And many louing kisses makes an end Euen so my gracious Lord I come to thee With many faults and much humilitie Knowing my blemish I 'm afraid of blame And being laden both with sinne and shame Willing to bide my face wash wipe and weepe Or any measures sinners ought to keepe Wishing with Mary my release to winne I craue my loue might couer all my sinne My Christ my loue is true and as it were Ioyned and mixed with a reuerent feare To make it perfect lend thy gracious skill To make my worke as proper as my will Vouchsafe to mend what is in me amisse It is both for thy honor and my blisse The old man 's crucifi'd and I 'm new borne I 'ue left my chaffe and I expect thy corne FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE BRIDE TO her Lord containing her Petitions A Legacy spiritually composed for the gracious suruey of the Right Reuerend Father in God IOHN Lord Bishop of Chester c. By Augustine Taylor Preacher and Minister in the Church of God LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE RIGHT REVERENT FATHER IN GOD IOHN by Diuine Prouidence Lord Bishop of Chester c. Most Worthy Lord IF for your gracious fauours vnto mee My loue and seruice can e're make amends Both are at your dispose and you shall see I 'll ranke your name amongst my noble friends And no dishonor to your Honor for I bring not th' offring of a monitor But of one that wonld be admonished At your dispose you are as'twere my head Learn'd Prince of Preachers whose celestiall voyce Contracts a King to willing audience Accep't these lines and I 'll maintaine my choyce Is the true Image of true excellence 'T is inward ioy to mee to see men note Me clothed in a shâ—ed of Chester scoate It is a robe of honor and maintain'd By Chesters Lord vnwronged and vnstain'd My gracious Lord mistake me not I do Present with reuerence and humility These to your Lordshâ—p they belong vnto Your Honor onely Not presumptuously I eternize your name but with regard And your free Patronage is my reward Bestow it then and for your share doth rest Both all my all and of my all the best Contracted to your Lordship with the bands of true affection Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT As harrowing after sowing fits So the Bride wraps her will In prayers and her plants commits Ther Lord in Syon hill LOrd be not angry that I stay so long I would I will not leaue thee if I wrong Thee or my selfe with troublesome attempts Since mercies lawes poore weakenesse still exempts From punishment for commonly we see Weaknesse acts none but her owne iniury Then since she punisheth her owne transgression To chastice her againe were meere oppression Pardon me Lord for I am forc'd to speake Channells o're charg'd with water needs must breake Into the neighbouring lands and cooles the plaines With the moyst land-blood of their too full vaines My heart 's the fountaine and my tong 's the brooke Wherein flowes all my passions Ouer-looke Her fruitlesse inundations I request Conceiue the baser but receiue the best They both proceede from loue and can loue cire I know she may but what man will preferre Complaints against vnfained loues offence None for 't would argue hate to innocence I know thy nature's gracious and Intreate Since thou art better pleas'd to blesse then beate Say not my sinnes are sinnes make good of ill Although they be my workes th' are not my will My God thou knowest it well and since I haue Promis'd thee some good seruice I must craue Thy fauours to performe it thou must breede Th' originall in me of will and deede For any good and first I humbly pray Increase my faith that the foundation may Vphold and honor all the vpper parts Of
and car'd for all that were in woe None can complaine that they away did goe Without a pardon for the great'st transgression All those that brought repentance found compassion I haue beene thine thine both in word and deede My tongue did preach and pray my flesh did bleede From my fresh wounds the smallest droppe that fell Is price sufficient to saue Israell I promise thee beleeue my promise then One drop may saue more worlds then this hath men It is sufficient Know I did not come To plead defficience and pay halfe the summe Let him that 's poore and needy and that must Confesse his pouerty and take on trust I haue no such occasion let him score That 's growne disable beggarly and poore Thy ransome all is payd and thou art rich And still within my store-house there 's so much It neuer can be empti'd do not want My bounty cannot make my blessings scant Desire and I will giue thee more and more Thou canst not make the stocke of mercy poore Presume not neither for I will expresse My Iustice on presumptuous saucinesse The meeke and lowly I delight to guide I owe the greatest punishments to pride My Israell my death hath bought thy life Forget not then the duties of a wife The office of a husband I haue showne In greater measure then the world hath knowne The graue is conquer'd death hath now no sting All foes are vanquisht by thy Lord and King And now thy Christ as chiefe aloft doth raigne And Edens gates are now vnbarr'd againe The Lambe being slaine the fity sword by him Is taken from the angry Cherubin And my faire bride may come and welcome in FINIS THE EPISTLE OF THE LORD TO his Bride vpon her Sanctification A Heauenly legacy properly for the vse of the Honorable Sr. Richard Mullineux c. Written By Augustine Taylor Preacher at Hawarden LONDON Printed by Nicholas Okes. 1623. TO THE HONORABLE Sr. RICHARD MVLLINEVX Knight and Barronet c. Worthily Honored THere is a sumptuous feast prepar'd Vpon Gods holy hill Of dainties and of plenties shar'd Amongst all those that will With reuerence and louing feare Attend to be the ghests At the Lambs nuptialls to be there The Lord by me requests Your worthy selfe therefore prouide Your wedding garments fit And you by Gods-sonnes-sacred side In glories seate shall fit Peruse these lines and though they be No measures that excell Yet th' are diuine and comes from me That knowes and loues you well Yet for my knowledge and my loue Accept it not but for His glorious name that fits aboue And is th'all gouernour I know you 'll giue this meete respect And for your Noble name Time shall preserue and still protect With the sweete lippes of fame To all posterities to come When this short life is past These lines shall liue and when your tombe Shall perish these shall last Your Honors in the sernice of the Lambe Augustine Taylor THE ARGVMENT Least nation rude should spie some spot In the Messias Bride By 's spirit and 〈◊〉 begot A new and Iustifi'd BEcause I 'm earnest and an vrgent mouer Do not thou take me for a doting louer Why I 'm so loth to leaue thee thou mayst know From her I loue I do not loue to go Something 's are wanting yet the prophet sings That holy men are seru'd with holy things And know I will be sanctifi'd in all That shall come neare me euery one that shall Into my Temple come by my command Shall put their shooes off for 't is holy land I loue this holinesse 't is a kind of beauty And to expresse thy loue and shew thy duty Thou mayst do well to learne it and thou so May be Queene-like in substance and in show Beauty or maiesty lookes well alone But ten times better if these two be one One beauty's honor'd seru'd and praised too And then for many what would many doo They could not do so much and so I thought When with so great a ransome I thee bought Thy spots and freckles all I washt away And made thee such that there is not one may Compare to be thy equall th' art that one Whom all doth like but can be-alike none Each tong tels forth thy praise each pen thy fame A peerelesse Princesse and a matchlesse Dame Chiefe of thy kind and fairest of thy sex A worke that makes admir'd the Opifex Conceiue thy owne estate and thou will tell God is a louing God to Israell I made thee happy yea and holy too For all that earth and earthly kings could do Thou hath beene carried safe on Eagles wings To th'prayse of thine to th'shame of other kings With blood and water I haue washen thee Thy spots of sinne and thy infirmity Are chang'd for honor strength and purity And thou so faire in holinesse art seene Thy heathen neighbours wonder and do seeme To enuy thy estate and maruaile so They make dispute if thou be flesh or no Thee of more pretious mettle they define Some small part mortall but the most diuine Thy pleasant beauty countenance and grace They thinke composed of no peece so base They know thy beauties from the Heauens are For th' earth cannot afford a frame so faire Nature amazed doth her selfe submit To her owne worke and loues to worship it And seekes to find the author of each obiect And findes but one for all and that one's subiect She willingly becomes and doth record Her selfe a seruant and thy loue her Lord. And thus my grace to sanctifie my creature Path blest thee with all helpes of art and nature Hut of thy coate it is the old mans weare Filchy polluted noy some gracelesse geare Made of a web in disobedience frame Stain'd with the spots of infamy and shame 'T was cut out by ambition shapen by pride And stitcht together by that Homicide Impiety and lin'd throughout with sinne Vncleane without but more vncleane within Butten'd with feare garded about with woe And spotted with a thousand plagues and so By flattery sold and bought by arrogance And dayly worne by doating ignorance The old man weares it such a one I say Whose sinnes are greene and yet his haires ar gray I meane him old in vices him eschew Old things are worne away all 's become new And so must thou the coate that 's made for thee Is cut out of the web of puritie Made large and long th' image of excellence Of colour white betokening innocence In-layde with ioy the skirt with safty bound And with true honor treble-garded round Clasped with comforts furnisht with content Ornated with each seemely ornament Fram'd by desire perfected with good will Seame-sow'd with loue and perl'd with holy skill Set thicke with starres attended on with day Compos'd with care and shall looke fresh and gay For euermore I haue thee so attir'd As thou cannot be equall'd but admir'd And it must needes be so since thou art wife T' a Lord in comprehensible thy